A previous associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto was arrested late previous month in connection with allegations that he was not accredited to apply legislation and experienced tried to falsify credentials.

Steven Younger Lee, 31, who experienced labored in the prestigious legislation firm’s securities litigation division given that previous August, was fired previous month when the firm observed out that the Boston University legislation graduate experienced lied about remaining accredited to apply legislation in California or everywhere else.

Lee’s attorney, Lucy McAllister, did not return cellular phone calls, and when reached Monday, Lee himself stated “I do not want to comment.”

Just after his arrest April 29, Lee was billed with felony grand theft and the illegal apply of legislation. If convicted of both equally rates, Lee faces up to 5 decades guiding bars, according to Santa Clara County Assistant District Legal professional Al Weger.

While at Wilson, Sonsini, Lee conducted interviews, took depositions, gave legal advice and produced courtroom overall look in L.A., San Francisco and San Mateo. The firm has returned to clients a complete of $219,865.95 that was billed for Lee’s do the job, and it introduced the make a difference to prosecutors’ focus, Weger stated.

“The do the job he did seemed adequate,” stated Wilson, Sonsini lawyer Timothy Scott, chair of the firm’s litigation section. “The other attorneys seemed to have preferred him.”

According to a report by District Legal professional Investigator Gary Medlin, the allegations unfolded April 13 when associate Leo Cunningham overheard his secretary talking to somebody from the State Bar, which grants individuals licenses to apply the profession. The secretary, according to the report, was carrying out a routine verification to make positive Lee was in great standing with the bar. (To apply legislation in California, an unique have to go a bar exam and an ethics review.)

The bar, however, told the secretary that the range she presented did not belong to Lee. Cunningham then confronted the associate, according to the report, and Lee stated that he have to have incorrectly created the range down. He stated he would check out his bar card and give the proper range to Cunningham, the report stated.

Lee afterwards presented Cunningham with another range, which state bar records confirmed was registered to a Steve Y.C. Lee who lived in Sacramento. Steven Y. Lee at last admitted he was not accredited in any state, the report stated. He was promptly suspended, and on that working day sent a alter of handle sort to the California State bar, requesting a copy bar card belonging to Steve Y.C. Lee, listing Wilson as his new employer. A lot less than a week following he was fired, Lee submitted a resume to an government legal research firm to discover new do the job as a lawyer, the report stated.

“This was an clear attempt on his part to steal Steve Y.C. Lee’s bar range,” concluded …